Beauty Worth Preserving

What is that?

I've been conducting a series of photography workshops for special education students through a program run by VSA Arts of Grand Rapids. This has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. I've been impressed by the courtesy, creativity, and eagerness of my students.

Yesterday I was working with a class of upper elementary aged kids. I conducted a workshop on "patterns." I encouraged them to explore their surroundings and try to see patterns that they may never have noticed before, to look at their world with new eyes. I told them that our goal was to make people ask "What is that?" when they saw our pictures.

I showed them a couple of samples of my own work that often prompts this question. You can click on these photos to view larger versions and an explanation of their origins.

Here a some samples of their work. I'd be proud to call this my own!

   

Saint Mary's Health Care guest artist

I'm proud to have been selected to be the guest artist for September and October by the art committee of Saint Mary's Doran Foundation. This is a relatively new program. I'm just the third guest artist and the first photographer chosen.

Michelle Rabieau, the executive director of Saint Mary's Doran Foundation had this to say about my work:

Steve's work expresses a sense of beauty and serenity, which are two important reasons why he was selected as our next artist in the Guest Artist Series. Saint Mary's Health Care is committed to displaying art that enhances our environment and enriches the experience for our patients, families, visitors and associates - Steve's photography does just that.

You can view the show in the lobby of Saint Mary's Health Care at 200 Jefferson Avenue SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Purchases from the guest artist program help bring the lasting presence of healing art into the patient rooms and public spaces of the hospital. Twenty-five percent of each sale is contributed to the Art Fund of Saint Mary's Doran Foundation. I've also offered to support this cause by donating twenty-five percent of sales from the Great Lakes Editions website during the show--just enter the promotion code STMARYS at checkout.

Crane Museo Fine Art Paper

Although I've used Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art paper for years and have  been very satisfied with its qualities, I have at times been frustrated by supply limitations. I recently was forced to look for an alternative and decided to give the Crane Museo line of papers a try.

I couldn't be happier with that choice! Shutterbug reviewed this paper in 2005 and had this to say:

Crane & Company has introduced new, double sided Museo II... This completely new, fine art matte paper is 100% acid free and buffered with pure calcium carbonate to protect the paper from environmental acidification throughout its lifetime. Museo II contains no fluorescent brightening agents. It is made from 100% cotton fibers, which are the purest source of cellulose and it’s produced with micro-filtered, naturally occurring, Artesian well water...

Museo II meets Library of Congress standards for archival permanence, ISO 11108 requirements for permanence and durability for archival paper and ISO 9706 requirements for document permanence. Because no fluorescent brighteners are used Museo II is less subject to yellowing or other color shifts over time. The lack of optical brighteners also means that Museo II will not fluoresce in mixed light environments that may contain UV illumination.

Those are great specifications, and this is a truly wonderful paper. I love the luxurious velina finish and beautiful eggshell color. And the prints are the best I've ever produced. Crane Museo is my new standard!

Where do you go to renew? Part 4

The final entry from my "where do you go to renew?" contest comes from Bev Kraker. Bev included some cool family photos of her favorite spot.

I've had numerous Lake Michigan refuges over the years...each of them a favorite at that time of my life. One of my earliest memories of one brings me back to a time of refreshment, relaxation and closeness with my family of origin.

I grew up on a farm about an hour away from Little Sable Point lighthouse. My parents would pile all six of us kids into the station wagon after the chores were done on what always seemed to be the hottest day of the summer. We'd fly down dusty dirt roads past our relative's asparagus farm and over the rolling countryside for what seemed to be an eternity. When the car stopped we'd pile out and race barefoot over the hot sand past the lighthouse to throw ourselves into the cool waves of Lake Michigan. Mom and Dad would choose a spot close to the water and lay a large old cotton blanket down. They would keep a watchful eye on us since none of us were accomplished swimmers. (We were certain that the giant tractor inner tube that we brought along and inflated in the parking lot and clung to in the waves would sufficiently ensure our safety.)

Hours later we would eat a picnic supper under a shade tree and dutifully wait one hour before we took one last dip in the water. We would see how far out we could go and still touch the bottom before we saw our parent's motioning us to shore. Reluctantly we would  heed our parent's call and let the waves carry us in.  We all helped to shake out the blanket and pack up the assorted beach toys and then raced back thru the hot sand to the car where we would help deflate the innertube by standing on it until it let out it's final breath. We would then brush the sand from our feet, dry off as best we could and pile back into the sweltering station wagon. The wind whipping thru the open windows as we retraced our path home evaporated the last of the lake's cool wetness from our hair and bodies.  We sat shoulder to shoulder,  quietly absorbed in our own thoughts as we  watched the setting sun slide behind the horizon.The silhouettes of the pine trees and farms we floated past slowly faded as the night sky pulled its dark blanket around us leaving only the headlights' beam to point the way home.

Where do you go to renew? Part 3

In my June Newsletter, I asked readers "Where do you go to renew?" Kate Miller responded:

There are so many places I like in Michigan.  This weekend Dan and I were camping in the Manistee National Forest and from there we drove up to Sleeping Bear Dunes (along highway 31).  That whole area was bewitching with the interplay of light and shadow and the rolling hills. Perhaps that's my favorite (today).

All who responded were entered in a random drawing for a free 5x7 matted print. I asked them to tell me which photo they'd choose if they won. Kate replied,

And just like deciding on one place is next to impossible, so is deciding on one picture more than another.  I guess I'll choose 04019080.  (The photo of Little Sable Point lighthouse above).

Where do you go to renew? Part 2

As you'll recall, in my June newsletter I asked readers "where do you go to renew?" Craig Clark, a talented writer and owner of Clark Communications, submitted this response:

My personal Great Lakes refuge location is a place I simply call "The Spot".  It's a place that I used to hike out to after work when I first moved to G.R.  It was (still is, actually) a peaceful location for me to unwind and enjoy nature; over time it became a destination spot for me to really hear God and follow His direction in life (job changes, marriage, etc.).

The actual location of "The Spot" is in the Rosy Mound County Park just south of Grand Haven off of Lakeshore Drive. I'd hike to the very top of the highest dune to soak in the views of the dunes, beach and water.  What a peaceful place.  I believe the DNR prohibits any off trail hiking now (endangered plants). I've been hiking out to this 'spot' for well over 15 years.  It used to be a rugged, 1/4-1/2 mile hike up sandy dunes, but now it's a paved/raised trail marked system to get to the Lake Michigan beach.  I can understand the need to make this trail more accessible to a non-hiker, but I used to value the challenge Rosy Mound presented to me every time I visited.  The end of the journey was always worth it, though.  The end of the trail would crest at the highest point of the dunes just before the beachhead.  You were awarded with a breathtaking view of the natural dunes landscape (think smaller version of Nordhouse), and the marvelous specter that is Lake Michigan.

Thanks for reading about my not-so-secret (anymore) 'spot'!

The view of Nordhouse Dunes at the top of this post was Craig's choice for a free 5x7 print had his entry been selected in the random drawing.

And the winner is...

In my June newsletter, I asked readers "where do you go to renew?" Five responded for an opportunity to win a 5x7 matted print of their choice (a $65 value). Cheryl Botham, whose winning entry was selected at random, had this to say:

I love the beach at Grand Haven State Park. The perfect day for me is a sunny day lying on the beach, listening to the waves as they crash along the shoreline. A long walk along the beach, then out to the pier to enjoy the sites and sounds of Lake Michigan. Growing up in this area was wonderful and I have many childhood memories of the state park. I can always count on a relaxing day when I visit....

Cheryl chose this dramatic picture of the Grand Haven pier at the end of a stormy day. Coincidentally, Susan Langeland had selected the same photo. Here's Susan's entry:

I don't go to the Great Lakes nearly often enough, given their close proximity.  But my infrequent visits have given me visual memories that I can recall  when I have need of calm and hope.  One particular place that I revisit mentally is the dunes between Grand Haven and South Haven --seen from the water. The week before I had cancer surgery and began chemotherapy (nine years ago!) I went sailing there with friends. The fresh wind, sparkling sunlight, wonderful shades of blue in the wide sky and the great, rolling depths of fresh water are still with me.  I am still awed at the luminous, pristine beauty of the dunes seen from Lake Michigan. Steve, your photographs and reflections on your website offer me some of that same beauty and peace. 

Thank you Susan--what a kind affirmation of my work.

And thanks to all who took the time to share their thoughts. Look for the other 3 responses in upcoming posts.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

I spent a week in mid-June exploring the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. I have to confess that I had never taken the time to tarry there longer than was necessary to scramble to the top of Mt Baldy. OK, full confession--I always just thought of the Indiana Dunes as a signpost on the road to Chicago (my boyhood home) and assumed they could never hold a candle to wonderful dunes of Michigan (my adopted home).

Was I wrong! I had intended to spend a few days, and ended up exploring this wonderful treasure for a week and wishing I had more time. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and the Indiana Dunes State Park, together protect over 16,000 acres of dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers, and forests--not to mention over 16 miles of beautiful Lake Michigan beach.

The National Park Service describes the Indiana Dunes as "a treasure of diverse natural resources located within an urban setting." Bordered by Gary in the West and Michigan City in the East, the dunes are also bisected by the huge industrial complex of Portage and the Port of Indiana. But literally within the shadows of industry, a natural jewel continues to shine.

The centerpiece of the dunes is the Great Marsh (pdf). Though much reduced from its historic size, at 10 miles long and a half mile wide, it remains the largest interdunal wetland on Lake Michigan. These dunes and wetlands were the inspiration for Dr. Henry Cowles, whose pioneering 19th century studies of dune succession earned him the title of "the father of plant ecology" and led to a decades long battle to save the Indiana Dunes.

Spiderwort were blooming profusely when I hiked the Cowles Bog Trail (pdf), probably my favorite in the park. This wonderful trail affords a close encounter with the fabled Great Marsh, and also includes a foray into the most isolated and well preserved dunes in the park.

Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund

I'm enthralled with the beauty of the Great Lakes region, and dedicated to its preservation. That's why I donate 10% of every purchase to an organizations that share that commitment.

One of the groups I support is the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund (GLAHNF). They work to encourage community-based citizen action to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes. They provide grants, communications and networking assistance, and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes basin.

In keeping with their grassroots emphasis, most of the grants they provide are modest. Project grants seem to range up to about $5,000. Special opportunity grants provide smaller amounts. For example, in 2005 the Illinois Audubon Society received a $250 grant to send one of their staff to a workshop on protecting the endangered piping plover.

The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund has been very enthusiastic about our partnership. They recently created a special section of their website called the Inspiration Gallery. I'm proud to be one of two featured artists currently listed.

From now through September 30 I'm offering a special promotion that will benefit both you and the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund . Make a purchase at Great Lakes Editions and enter the promotional code GLAHNF at checkout and two nice things will happen. First, you will get a 10% discount on your purchase. Second, I will double my usual contribution to 20%...and designate it exclusively to the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund.

Great Lakes Landscapes and Lighthouses

Little Sable Point Lighthouse

My show, Great Lakes Landscapes and Lighthouses, will be running June 1-July 15 at the Grand Rapids First United Methodist Church. The first link will take you to a nice slide show their webmaster put together showing all 18 pieces in the show. This church has an active arts ministry and my print "The Second Day" received an honorable mention at their juried competition in February.